Aeroplane-ascension apparatus



Jan. 6, 1931. F. J. ENNIS AEHOPLANE ASCENSION APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1926 INVENTOR. Zia/1104 flknzs,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 6, 1931 r UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed December 15, 1926. Serial N0.-154,894.

This invention relates to aeroplanes or afiixed to opposing elements of the frustroships of the heavier-than-air type adapted to cone, and the other edge in the plane of the be propelled through the air, and particularly portion 9 of the cone. An analysis of vane 7 to means for producing flight in a vertical shows that portion A B of edge B C, that ,6 direction. Y I y is not'tangentially secured to the surface, is

The apparatus is designed for use in conthe same length as an element of the cone, for motion with ships of heavier than air type example A D. lln other words, the length and the invention relates to means for pro-- of the bottom side of the vane extends beducing flight in a vertical direction. v yond the base diameter parallel thereto, a 10 Aeroplanes now'require a considerable run distance equal to the side or" the vane tangenaway spaceon land or water in which to gain tially secured tothe cone, or C E. C E obvisufiicient momentum to enable them to rise, ously is equal to any element of the cone as and also require a considerable level area to A D. B U, however, may be of any length, enable them to land with safety. and for various power plants will assume The objects of my inventionare to pro corresponding suitable dimensions. The 5 vide means whereby an air ship may takeoif vanes in Figure l are flat, although to reduce from or land with safety upon an open space resistance, as may be desirable with difof comparatively limited area such as a small i'erent power plants, they may be curved to city lot, the roof of a building, the deck of any suitable degree. Applicant limits him- 20 a ship, or asmall body of water, and to pro self to no form of construction or dimensions vide means whereby, if the motor ofthe ship of the vanes in combination with the frustrofails to function or to function efficiently, the cone. In theory, a true cone utilized with speedof descent of the ship may be controlled vanes substantially in the form of quarter and a gentle landing made. circles of a circular plane shows to best ad- 25 These objects and other advantages I atvantage. In practice, a hollow frustro-cone tain in the manner hereinafter described, is employed. An expedient such as cover 10 reference being had to the accompanying may be employed to reduce resistance if the drawings in which device is used in a position where great fric- Figure 1 is a representation of a device contion would be encountered against the in- 30 'structed in accordance with my invention and terior or" the cone. Shaft 11 may be coupled adapted to operate with a power plant not to the cone in any suitable manner to connect shown. with a power plant to supply a rotary move- Figure 2 shows the device applied to a ment to the conduvane. plane of the heavier-than-air type. Figure 2 shows a conduvane suitably Figure 3 is a drawing Showing anflnalysls mounted on an aeroplane. To reduce air re- 0f fi forces p m p n y devlce when sistance against the cover, the device may be it 18 d l a Sultable Power P a lmounted beneath the machine if coupled W a l'otatlng movement of the devlce W111 through a bearing that will protect the power produce atvertical torquesufficientto enable 1 t c t t} ,d H t p th the device'to ascend against gravity. g ig g 1e upwal OI Y 8 con (r i ure 1 numeral 5 reoregg gf f i be called 1 01% Upon rotating the conduvane clockwise a y lifting movement illustrated in Figure 3 is duvane since it consists essentiall of a frusto-conical body 6, attached to 6i Power produce/d- Each Vane when l'elolvmg tends driven Shaft and having vanes 7 and 8' The to create a vacuum between its inner surface 95 frustwconical body may be a complete Cone and the outer srde oi the conical portion. The but I have shown it as of frusto-conical form g W111 lmmedmtely rush whi h it ttachm t f th apex t th The action is comparable to that resulting driving shaft, and will describe it asa frustro "fr m a sudden opening of a door, Where the cone. The vanes have one edge tangentially plane of the door quickly creates a partial vacuum which is followed by a gustof wind rushing in to fill the void. 7

When thevanes cause a snmlar recurrent rushing iniof air they set up a plurality of.

forces against the inclined outer surface of the frustro-conical body of the conduvane. The sw ng of each vane will'set-up a force against the outer conicalsurface measured by the length ofthe projecting side and des ignated as F G in Figured Resolving resultant force F G against-inclinedsideEFH of the conduvane,f orce H J is represented as a vertical component and F Gthe horizon tal component, in the directions indicated.

The resistance of the airwill set up counterv forces resolved as K H horizontally and K F.

vertically: in a direction opposed to the first forces. K Fcwill cancel H J. andKrH cancel anequivalentcomponent or F J of the hon. .zontalfcomponent of or1g1na1=force F G.

This :leaves :J 1G representing-that portion of the force .notcanceled. .ResolvingJ G againstthe'inclined surface as shown, the

horizontal component J G and verticalcomponent G L, are the representations of the component forces, in the directionsindicated.

The sameanalysis is applicable tothe other vanes. Since J G willcancelthe horizontal.

force set upin an opposite direction by the oppositely disposed vane, the force represented by vertical component G L produced by each vanewill alone remain. This force in. the conduvane illustrated in Figure 3 would equal 2G L. The forcewould lessen 1 :w' thenumber of vanes were increased without regardto the size of the conduvane. .Maximum results are-obtained from the use of two vanes on the'conicalsurface .ofa size sufficient to utilize .full. power. of the .motor without slipfromtoo small a vane, orresistance from too large a vane or due to using too many vanes.

InFigure 2, the conduvanemay becoupled to a clutch ,to'the same motor usedzto drive the propeller, or by a separatepower unit.

.Asvthe plane begins to move forward, the concluvanewould commenceto rotate at its maximum speedto impart an upward thrust. to themachine, in aid of the propeller in comi .bination withthe elevator controls. Ifl'the forwardpropulsion means began to function unsatlsfactorlly when 1n the air, the conduvane will elther serve as a brake or 1n conjunction with the disabled propeller means, effect a'landing without precipitatelycrasih While I have describedimyinvention as takinga particular form, it will be understood that the various parts'maybe changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do. not limit-myself to the precise construction set forth, but considerthatI am at liberty to make such changes and. alterations as fairlycome within the scope of the appended claims.

up by said vanes to raise the body.

,tion to the body.

I claim A a I 1 A device adapted to. be rotated by a power means, for supplying an upward movement to an aeroplane, consisting of a hollow frusto-cone, a plurality of vanes oppositely secured to the cone, each vane having its secured side equal in lengthto anelement of the frusto-conebetween its bases and a second side in a plane perpendicular'to the securedside, the end -pr said sides being joined by-a-third sidein-the form of a curve.

2LA frustroeconical body having its wall inclined upwardly and outwardly at an angle of approximately 4:59 to its base; quarter circular vanes tangentially secured thereto, and means for imparting rotation to the body.

3. A 'frustro-conical body ,'a pair of quar- I ter circular ,vanestangentially secured to the outer wall thereofand extending :in opposite dlrectlons, and means for lmpartingro;

tation to the body.

4:. 'A frustro-conicalbody, quarter circular vanes tangentially secured to the outer wall thereof, and means for imparting rotation to the body, whereby 'sufiicient forces are-set 5. A frustro-conical bodyg'a pair of quarter circular vanes tangentially secured-to the outer wall thereof, the vanes being disposed opposite eachother and'extending in opposite directions in parallel planes,;and means for imparting rotation to the :body. V

6. A frustro-conical body; a pairof.oppo sitely; disposed quarter circular vanes tan ,gentially. secured to-the outer wall thereof, [one of the straight edges of the vanes 6X-" v-tending substantially from bottom to top of the body, and means for imparting rota- 7. A frustro-conical sitely disposed quarter circular vanes tanone of the straight edges of the. vanes extending substantially from bottom to top ofthe body and the other straight edge extending in a plane perpendicularto theaxis of the,

frustro-conical body, and'means for imparting rotation to the body.

8. Means for imparting vertical flight 1110 a heavier than air machine, including'ahollow frustro-conical body-having its wall inclined upwardly and outwardly at an angle of approximately 45 to its axis, substantially -quarter circular vanes "having a straight side of each attachedto the-body at opposite sides thereofwiththe vanes extend- .ing tangentially in opposite directions, the

other straight sides of the vanes being disposed in the plane of the small end of the ,gentially secured to the outer wall thereof,

body and on parallel lines, and shaftsecured to thefbody.

9. A propeller comprisingia. frustro-conicalv body, vanes secured to the. sides of the cone, and. means to rotatethe organization tending to move itwith the base of the cone in advance.

10. A propeller comprising a frustro-conical body having its side Walls arranged at an angle of approximately 45 to its axis, vanes secured to the sides of the cone, and means to rotate the organization tending to move it With the base of the cone in advance.

11. A propeller comprising a frustro-conical body, spirally inclined vanes secured to the sides of the cone and means to rotate the organization tending to move it with the base of the cone in advance.

12. A propeller comprising a frustro-conical body, vanes secured to the sides of the cone and extending spirally to a greater radial distance than the radius of the base, and means to rotate the organization tending to move it With the base of the cone in ad- Vance.

13. A propeller comprising a frustro-coni- A cal body having a base coinciding With the plane of a spherical segment, vanes secured to the sides of the cone, and means to rotate the organization tending to move it With the base of the cone in advance. 7

14. A propeller comprising a frustro-conical body having a base coinciding With the plane of a spherical segment, vanes secured to the sides of the cone and extending spirally to a greater radial distance than the radius of the base, and means to rotate the organization tending to move it With the 

